Process of manufacturing fibrous blocks



Patented May 19, 1931 RICHARD BUC'KMINSTER ASSIGNMENTS, TO T =I OF LAWRENCE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE I EX CORPORATION, A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS IPROCESS OF MANUFACTURING FIBROUS BLOCKS 1T0 Drawing. Original application filed December 31, 1924, Serial No. 758,991. Divided and this application filed March 1, 1927.

This application is a division of my earlier application, Ser. No. 758,991, filed December 31st, 1924, which has become Patent No. 1,634,900 and relates to certain phases of a process of making fibrous blocks such, for example, as those described in Hewlett Patent No. 1,604,097, dated February 16, 1926.

In the manufacture of the blocks referred to, a particularly suitable fibrous material 1s shredded wood fibre known as excelsior, but other fibrous material such as straw may be used. A suitable binder for use with such fibrous material is a mixture of magnesium oxide and magnesium chloride, while another is slaked lime.

For the purposes of illustration I will describe my process in conjunction with the use of excelsior and a binder of magnesium oxide an ma esium chloride.

Excelsior is obtainable in compact bales. This may be broken up by hand and material then cut up into pieces of even length as by an ensilage cutter of standard desi such as is used by farmers in cutting up odder for use in silos. As-the excelsior at this stage is treated dry, some fire risk is attendant on (11115 stage of the operations which may be advantageously conducted in a separate building.

The broken up excelsior is then conducte preferably by the aid of an air current, to the mixin point where it is mixed wlth the binder wh1ch should be in substantially l quid form or solution. The binder mgy be either wdnven the exc s a ra rred. -in .b. r a surp indermaybo.J1Sfid.a11d..l?hcelsior submerged Ks Tani'seeki ng to make blocks which are very light and have a ver high proport on of connected air cavities, t e excelsior which has been treated with the binder should hays any surplus binder allowed to drain off and then should be submitted to some form violent agitation which will break up compacted masses leaving separate pieces of fibrous material coated with the binder but not leaving compacted masses of the material. This may be accomplished by blowing the treated fibres to a second ensilage cutter. The blowing will to accomplish part of the necessary breaking up,

Serial No. 171,908.

and if any further agitation is necessary, this One way in which this molding may be conducted is by blowing the fibrous material into a perforated mold as is set forth in my said earlier a plication.

What claim is:

1. The process of producing fibrous blocks,

which comprises the steps of treating fibrous material with a binder in substantially liquid form, subjecting the treated fibrous material in the absence of surplus binder to violent agitation whereby com acted masses of the fibrous material are bro en up, forming the fibrous material into blocks without the use of substantial pressure and letting the binder set whereby light masses are obtained of a rigid structure comprising a very high percentage of connected air spaces.

7 2. A process as defined in claim 1, in which an an current is used to agitate the fibrous material after the treatment with the binder.

3. A process as defined in claim 1, in which an excess of binder is used which is drained oif prior to the agitation referred to.

4. The process of producin fibrous blocks, which comprises agitating brous material in the presence of a li uid binder to break up compacted masses 0 the material and to leave the separate pieces of the fibrous material coated with the binder, and then forcing the treated material into a forming mold to form the same into a desired shape, the

amount of force used being insufficient to cause a compression of the material into a compact state.

5. The process of forming a fibrous block, which comprises coating long, thin fibers with a magnesium binder, agitating them to promiscuously intertwine the fibers to ether and to break up compacted masses, an forcing the coated fibers into a forming mold to form the same into a desired shape, the

amount of force used being insuflicient to compress the material into a compact state.

6. The process of producing fibrous blocks,

5 which comprises agitating fibrous material in the presence of a liquid binder to break up compacted masses of the material and to leave the separate pieces of the fibrous material coated with the binder, and then forcm ing the treated material into a desired shape,

the amount of force used being insufficient to cause a compression of the material into a compact state.

7 The process of forming a fibrous block,

which comprises coating long, thin fibers with a magnesium binder, agitating them to promiscuously intertwine the fibers together and to break up compacted masses, forcing the coated fibers into a desired shape, the amount of force used being insuflicient to compress the material into a compact state, and permitting the shaped mass to set.

RICHARD BUCKMINSTER FULLER. 

